Automobile ash trays



J. J. MoDoNALp AUTOMOBILE ASH TRAYS March 4, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledJune- 8. 1956 INVENTOR. Jogy Mc oNALp BY i ATTORNEY March 4; 1958 J. J.MCDONALDM Y 2,825,446

AUTOMOBILE ASH TRAYS Filed June 8, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l IN VEN TOR.Jol-,IN J. Mae/VAL D UKW A 7' TOENE Y' This" invention li'relates toautomobile fash'r' trays,` and 'Y an object thereof` is the provision ofcertain new and useful'`- improvements "in means ,asslociatedtherewith,v whereby a* conduit is provided lea'ding'from the' ashtray'to'theunderside of v'the car'into a receiver having 'a door for`emptying the *same periodically/,together witha 'blower' nwliich'lbio'wsv "the" cigarette butts, ashes etc. downthefconduit'andwhich is' automatically energized onpulling out" theashftr'ay and isialitomaticallyrcut out when the ashtray ispushedbackin,"with a'm'anual control provided near,"A

theash *trayffor"opeing' Vthe'rcceiver door to expel' the" 2'accumulated butts.

The above broad as well as additional and more specific objects will beclarified in the following description wherein reference numerals referto like-numbered parts in the accompanying drawings. 1t is to be notedthat tle'drawings areintended solely -for the purpose ofiillusL trationand' that it isthereforeneither desired nork iu"- tendedtolimit theinvention necessarily to any or'all'of thef'exactdetail'sof'construction-sliovln or described'exf cepinsofarV 'asi they-'may bevdeemed essential tothe invention.

Referring briey to the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through anautomobile equipped with an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front view of the dash board of the automobile,showing the ash tray and the pull knob for operating the receiver door,positioned above the tray;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a wiring diagram.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 10 indicates anautomobile of which the dash board is shown at 11. An insulated tubularhousing 12 is supported in an opening 13 through the dash board, and anash tray 14 is slidably mounted therein and adapted to be pulledoutward, to the right, Fig. 3, substantially into the position shown,for access thereto.

A conduit 15 leads from the rear end of the housing 12 into a cylinder16 in which a fan or blower impeller 17 is mounted on a shaft 18 drivenby a motor 19. A conduit 20 leads from the bottom of the cylinder 16 andis bent in a rearward direction to terminate under the oor of thevehicle in an exhaust end 21. A receiver 22 is supported under thevehicle and is provided with a door nited States Patent O 23'hingedon`ahorizontal axis at its upper end 24 y'to the.4

front wall 25 of the receiver. The end 21 of the conduit 2i) is securedin an opening 26 in the said front wall, and

a`plu`r'alityof `vents 27 Iare, provided inthe rear wall '22,u whichlarepreferably of very small diameter. Brackets 28 and 29 hold the cylinder16 and the m9torl19, re-vr spectively, to a rigid 'portion `3() of thevehicle.

The ash `tray`14f`m`ay be provided with a. longitudinalYV groove 31in'itsunderside, in which a lug 32 on the Vrim the housing by a screw 37passing therethrough. p

Asl shown in` Fig. 3, in the forwardmost position of the tray 14`1an'annular space 38 is provided betweenthe housing 12V and the tray.Longitudinally spaced electric contacts'v39 are mounted in this spaceagainst the inside of thev housing 12, from which wires 40 lead. Aresilient contact 'finger `41 extends forward from its base which is.

secured against the wall of the flange 34 on the tray, andis'longitudinally aligned'with the contacts 39 so that, in the Ypositionshownin Fig. 3, this Yfinger bridges the con: tacts and Yhence closesthecircuit therethroughghence the two contacts together' with the springiinger comprise an elecric switch'42which is closed when the ash trayYis pulled outv 'to lthe position shown, and which is autofY maticallyopened when the tray is pushed back home, as is obvious.

The wiring diagram is simple and is shown in Fig. 9, with the circuitfor the motor 19 preferably in series with contacts on the ignitionswitch 43 so that the motor cannot be energized while the vehicle isparked in case the driver should forget to shut off the engine.

It is now apparent that, as soon as the ash tray 14 is pulled out inorder to dispose of a cigarette or the like, the motor will be energizedto draw the butt or ashes, etc. down the conduits 20, 15 and willdeposit them in the receiver 22, and the draft will be especially strongsince the motor will be running at full speed almost immediately afterthe switch is closed and before the butt can be deposited in the tray.The point of entry of the conduit 15 into the cylinder 16 could bepositioned below the impeller 17 instead of above it as shown in Fig. 6.However, as shown, the impeller will act as a chopper or cutter to breakup the butts into very small pieces in passing through the impeller.

IIt is of course necessary to empty the receiver 22 of its accumulatedcontents from time to time, and this is done preferably when the vehicleis not on a highway or street so that the contents are not scattered aslitter. To enable opening of the door 23 to be effected convenientlyfrom within the vehicle, the following means has been provided.

The hinge 44 securing the door 23 to the wall 25 of the receiver 22 isprovided, in the usual manner, with a spring 45 which normally maintainsthe door in closed position. A cable 46 has its lower end 47 secured tothe lower end 47 of the door 23 and is trained about guides 48 andbrought through openings in the body portion 30 and the dash board 11 toterminate in a grip 49 positioned near or above the ash tray 14. To openthe door to empty the receiver, the grip 49 is pulled out for a momentand th-e contents of the receiver will fall out. |lLn order to makecertain that the receiver will be emptied, the ash tray may also bepulled out at the same time, to

lat'dezitietlv Mar. 4," 179587'l Y nection to the cylinder offs'aidportions,

cause the blower to pperate'i'and thus forcefully Vremrc'weY thereceiver contents.

yIt is apparent from the above that abus'eful YandV prac- Y tical aswell as sate and clean fway has been provided for disposal` of cigarettebuttsy etc. resulting from smokingY Y pulling the doorropen,saidcable-extending upwardand. Y YI-having a' hand'grip on the upper end,thereof slidably r'- V1. In an automobile-having an ash"trayrnovablyV YVmounted ina @part Vof the Vbody thereof :and alternately 'Y movablebetween-'arposition of access to the 'interioroVV i the tray yandra,position of non-access to the'same, am

conduit VleadingY downward from the interior fof thertray andterminating in Van exhaustat a point external tothe vehicle b/odyg,V a'blwer including an impeller interposed' in said conduit to force.matter from the tray 'through the conduit, Y said -blower including anelectric*rmotorfforV actuating Vthe impeller, andan electricallswitchsaid switch comprising a pair of spaced'contacts secured to VtheVbody adjacent thetray and in the path of movementY of the tray and meanson the tray for electricallycon-j necting saidY contacts when the trayis movedV to said" rst-namedposition and for disconnecting the contactswhen the tray is Vmoved to said'last-named position, said Y switch andsaid motor. being adapted'to be connected in 'circuit with an electricsource. Y f r i 2. The device set forth in claim l, said conduit-including ahousing, two spaced portions Vand a cylinder,u

one of said portions having the upper end thereof connected tothe rearVofgsaidvho'using and the'low'er end thereofy connected to saidcylinder,Y the otherr'of said por-Y tions having said exhaust'at thelowerend thereof and the -upper-e'nd thereof connected tofsa'idYcylinder `at` av i point distant'from the point yofconnection of theflower-V end'ortrsaid one of saidrporftions, s'aidreimp'ellerbeingrpositioned'infsaid cylinder between said pointsfof conv3.7"l'he'rdevicesetforth in claim l, a receiver mounted Y on the vehiclejexternal tothevehicle having said conduit exhaust connected theretorand having anormally closed door for emptyngvthe same',';said door having'aispignormally urging the door'V into normally closedrposition, a cable havingits lower end attached to .the door for mounted in the dashboardadjacent said opening.

4'. The device set forth in claim 1, said Vpart of the 'Y body having atubularrhousing :positioned substantially n horizontally inanopeningrtherethrough,V said' Yash tray 'l Y' registering slidablyinsaid'housing, said conduit including gtwo spaced :portionsVandracylinder, one of*said,portionsV having theupper endthereofconnected to therearot' Ysaidrhousing and the lower endrthereofconnected tot Y 'i said cylinder, the other of said portions having saidjexi haust at the` lower end thereof and the Vupper end thereof iconnected to said cylinder at a point distant from the point ofconnection of the lowery end of said one of said prtions,vsaidvrimpeller being positioned in said cylinder between said points 4of l connection: to the Vcylinderij'ofrzsaid portions;

5. The

ceiver having said conduit exhaustconnected thereto and said opening.

` 72,014,0.30'7-V i Punke VVSept-,10,51935' 2,558,25'57r Johnson June.26,*1951 2,559,178". vThompson '.c'July 3,'11951 V2,663,504 Hdoker ,..V'.';Dec.i2251953 2,716,464

device sert A fortliinclaim lrhaving Y'a'receiverY Y 4 mounted on n thevehicle external to the' vehicle, said` re'-

